This summer, when visiting one of Maine’s many beaches, you may have noticed areas roped off with signs indicating that this is to protect the nests of sea birds. These areas tend to be in the upper portion of the beach where the grasses begin and can offer some protection for the nesting birds even though they are awfully close to the numerous beachgoers who travel up and down the sand right nearby. This always surprises me about wildlife — that animals continue to stake their claim to habitat areas even when those areas seem like the least conducive to raising babies. Phoebes that build their nests above busy doorways are yet another example and one that may be familiar to many homeowners. While this proximity seems dangerous for the animals involved, it does offer an opportunity to see the nesting process up close in a way that is otherwise rare with wild species.

One of the common birds that nests beyond the protective roping at Maine’s beaches is the least tern (Sternula antillarum). These are the smallest of several species of terns found in Maine and are little whitish gray birds with distinctive black caps and yellow beaks that can be seen swooping through the air with their aerodynamic pointed wings and forked tails. Their wing spans are about twice as long as their bodies, allowing them to deftly dart around, keeping careful watch over their eggs. Their nests aren’t much to see — just simple depressions in the sand that are sometimes lined with a few pebbles or some beach grass that are big enough for a few eggs each season. Both the male and the female will take turns sitting on the nest during the incubation period, which lasts a few weeks. Then, they’ll take their fledglings on outings to learn to forage for small fish and crustaceans that they catch with their pointy beaks. And sometime in mid-late August, they’ll start their long journey south to their wintering grounds in Central and South America.

While protecting these little upper-beach areas may seem like a small thing, it is incredibly important for these little birds. That’s because they return to the same nesting site year after year. They are very loyal to both their breeding grounds and to their mates. Terns mate for life and, while they may migrate separately, they meet up again year after year to build a new nest together. Their courtship behavior is pretty amusing. A female will pick the spot it likes best for nesting and then wait for her mate to return. The male will then bring a fish back to his female mate as a courtship present before they start building a nest together. They will both fiercely defend their spot, dive bombing any intruders and sometimes even pooping on them!

Terns’ dedication to a nesting site means not only that the same mating pairs reunite each year, but also it means that whole colonies reunite each season. Terns prefer to nest in colonies, most likely for the collective protection it gives them from predators, so these small beach areas are akin to the campground reunions that happen all along the coast in the Maine summer.

With coastal development and more pressure to utilize Maine beaches, habitat loss is one of the biggest threats to terns. Predation from gulls who not only steal food but can also steal their eggs is another big one. Fortunately, “predation” from humans is no longer a threat, as the Migratory Bird Treaty of 1918 prohibited collecting them for their feathers, which were once prized for ladies’ hats, and also for their eggs. Several other protections have been put in place such as their designation as a Species of Management Concern by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This led to specific protections such as designating their nesting areas as Essential Habitat, which occurred in 1995, and has led to the protections we see today at Maine’s beaches.

There are only a few more weeks left to see these fiercely loyal birds before they set south for the winter. Take the opportunity to look carefully and respectfully at them if you have a chance to visit a Maine beach where they are nesting and to appreciate the value of these simple protections to these little birds.

Susan Olcott is the director of strategic partnerships at Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.